


the way i do

by Skyson



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Post-Season/Series 03, Reunions, Skoulson - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2021-01-25 19:02:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21361132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyson/pseuds/Skyson
Summary: Daisy returns to SHIELD more or less on her own terms. She comes to terms with a few other things, too.
Relationships: Phil Coulson/Skye | Daisy Johnson
Kudos: 37
Collections: Listen to my voice I'll guide us through the dark





	the way i do

**Author's Note:**

> Title by Bishop Briggs song of the same.
> 
> An old fic I wrote during the break between Seasons 03 and 04 (I think). Back when we knew Coulson wasn't Director anymore and Daisy was rogue, but not much else. It somehow got shifted in the pile of fics and never posted, so I wanted to share it now as I slowly work through my WIP hoarding problem.

* * *

"You understand why I've made you a level yellow for the time being, correct?" Director Jeffrey Mace asked her, and she frowned down at the new ID card in her possession.

"Because you know that yellow is my favourite colour?" Daisy returned, and he raised his eyebrows.

"Is it?"

"No."

His lips twitched, a larger expression of the way Coulson would bite the inside of his cheek when he was annoyed by something. Daisy simply blinked at him.

"We can't have you working for us in the public eye."

"Which is why I'm under Coulson." Daisy nodded, knowing the deal. "But you've got him at a pretty low level too, because you don't trust him, because of me. Which," She shifted her weight to her other foot, pretending to be thoughtful, "is very interesting, that you trust him to be my boss."

The Director pressed his lips together, and Daisy mentally did a fist pump in the air. She already loved irking this guy; he was usually so chill and easy-going.

"I don't trust him to be your boss." He admitted. "And Phil knows that. But this way I can keep an eye on the both of you at once."

"I guess I should tell him to cancel the rave party," Daisy mused, and Mace sighed.

"I'm pretty sure he's in the garage. Go check with him and see if he has anything for you to do. You're dismissed."

"Yes sir," Daisy replied, quietly but respectfully. She didn't really _hate_ this guy, she just got a kick out of annoying him.

She swallowed nervously as she walked down the hall, though. While he had to know that she was on base, she hadn't seen Coulson face-to-face since the first moment the SHIELD team had brought her in.

(It was more like she came in on her own, using them, but po-tay-to po-tah-to.)

Coulson and Mack had been chatting next to the Zephyr One, only glancing over curiously when the guys leading her out of the QuinJet started chatting excitedly. Both of her old friends had been completely surprised, staring open-mouthed as she passed them, surrounded by a protective circle of agents.

She'd been here for hours, now, but mostly in the hands of Jemma and her crew, or the Director. As far as she knew, Coulson hadn't yet tried to see her.

The closer she got to the garage, the more nervous she became. Reaching the big yellow door, she rolled her shoulders and tilted her head side to side, cracking the joints in her neck.

As she waited for the door to open, she wondered why Coulson was still in the garage. Even if the Zephyr needed repairs, she'd never seen him work with the crew in that regard before. (Though, who knew what the Director had him doing, these days.)

The garage was only half lit, and Daisy didn't have a watch to check the time. It must've been later than she thought. There didn't seem to be any crew around, and she didn't see Coulson either. She stepped toward the Zephyr, about to check inside, when she heard a clatter of metal and a muffled curse.

Approaching the SUV lot, she stepped around a couple of them before spying Lola, near the wall. A work light was focused into the engine compartment, and the hood was up, though Coulson was wheeling himself out from under the bottom of the car.

Daisy hesitated as she watched him; he hadn't noticed her yet. He was frowning at the wrench in his hand as if it had personally offended him, getting to his feet as he pulled the attachment off the end in favour of a different size.

Her eyes trailed up and down his form as he turned his back toward her, focused on digging through the standing tool chest. She'd never seen him so dressed down before, even undercover. His basketball sneakers were well worn, his dark jeans snug, and his small white undershirt grimy with dirt and grease stains.

There were grease stains on his arms, as well, though she could tell that underneath those smears of dirt he had tanned. And his arms themselves; he either was working out more, or his agent status was just _really good_ for him. Her fingers itched to touch every curve and indentation of muscle.

She licked her dry lips and swallowed, averting her eyes away from his distracting arms. He dropped the wrench and muttered 'fuck' under his breath, bending down to pick it up, and she discovered his ass looked pretty great, too.

She pressed her lips together, frowning at herself, and shook her head clear as Coulson snatched up a rag and wiped down his hands and the wrench. She should probably say something before he slipped back underneath the car again.

She stepped closer to Lola, still keeping a few good feet between herself and Coulson.

"Hey." She spoke up, gentle but loud enough to be sure to get his attention.

His head turned first, his shoulders and finally the rest of his body following once he realized who it was.

"Daisy." He noted, sounding a bit nervous as well. He was still slowly wiping the rag against the wrench. He had a smear of grease above his right eyebrow, too, which somehow amused her.

They both stood in silence then, so Daisy gestured toward Lola.

"She okay?" She asked. Coulson nodded, turning slightly to pat the top of the quarter panel with fondness.

"She's fine. Just a tune-up." He assured her, his fondness eking out into this voice. Daisy couldn't help but smiling a little in return. There were certain things she could always depend on, and Coulson and Lola were one of those things.

"Need any help?" She wondered, a little awkwardly. Careful, as if he would be mad at her. (Of course he wasn't, but, she wasn't sure what his emotions were right now. She had no idea what to expect.)

"Nah," Coulson replied, shaking his head, looking back at the car. He pursed his lips and then looked back toward Daisy. "Actually..." She simply looked at him as he thought. "Come here," He gestured her closer with a tilt of his head, and turned toward the front of the car.

Daisy approached, standing at the front as Coulson leaned his hands on top of the quarter panel, peering into the engine compartment.

"I haven't changed any of the fluids, yet, if you'd like to check those for me?" He requested, pointing with one hand as he listed, "Windshield wiper fluid is here, oil here, transmission there. Oh, and careful of these things; sometimes the contraption housing the guns can shift a bit and pinch your fingers."

Daisy was too busy staring at his upper arms, where the curve of his triceps and deltoid disappeared beneath the edge of his tee-shirt. He raised his eyebrow at her.

"Let me know if the oil needs changing; I'll need to flush it out from the bottom."

"Okay." She replied distractedly, and he pushed himself off of the car, tossing the rag onto the edge before sitting back on the dolly and rolling himself beneath the car.

They worked in awkward but companionable silence, the time stretching further into the night as Daisy discovered one of the hoses needed a new clamp, and a few bolts seemed fractured as if they'd been hit by something. (Probably had; probably a bullet. That thought jarred her, that Coulson had still been getting shot at even when she wasn't around to make his life dangerous. His life had always been dangerous, and possibly always would be, and she was reminded of that now.)

Eventually they returned tools to their rightful place and Coulson closed Lola's hood, futilely wiping his hands with the greasy rag. Daisy had a few grease stains on her hands as well, now, but not nearly as many as Coulson. He even had a spot across his nose, which she was very tempted to wipe off.

"Do you...want a beer?" Coulson asked, tossing the rag into a box of dirty towels nearby. Yeah, she did want a beer, and she also wanted to peel that shirt off of his body.

"It's late," She pointed out, apologetically. "I don't know what Mace will have planned for me tomorrow, so..."

"Right, right," Coulson nodded. "Of course."

They walked side by side down the hallway, but their arms didn't brush like they used to. And the silence was incredibly uncomfortable.

They reached her quarters first, and he hesitated only a moment, giving her a nod before continuing down the hall.

"Coulson?" She called out quietly, and he paused, turning his head half toward her. "Night."

"Goodnight, Daisy." He replied after a second, and she watched him as he walked to his quarters and entered, not looking back before softly closing the door behind him.

She finally entered her own room as well, not bothering to turn the light on as she toed her shoes off and padded to the bathroom.

At least the Director had put her in the hall with the quarters that all had their own bathrooms. They were small, granted, but they were still private.

She washed her hands, face, and teeth, sighing at her tired reflection in the mirror. Quiet and uncomfortable as it had been, spending that time with Coulson had still relieved much of her stress, in the way that his presence had always done for her.

Sweat pants and tank top on, she lay in bed staring at her ceiling for a good five minutes, exhausted but unable to close her eyes. Every time she did, she kept imagining Coulson's arms, and how they would feel wrapped around her, or under her palm. She kept seeing herself brushing her thumb across his nose, and his eyes softening in that way they often did.

She shifted onto her side, staring at her door. Why hadn't she hugged him? (Why hadn't he hugged her? Probably following her wishes, thinking she wouldn't be open to that sort of affection right now. Or maybe he was that hurt by her actions?)

She shook her head at herself, knowing otherwise. Hurt or not, Coulson wouldn't take it out on her. He'd probably try to hide it so she never even knew, but she wasn't an idiot.

"I'm an idiot," She muttered, getting to her feet. Without trying to think about it too much, she quietly padded her way toward Coulson's room, hoping he was still awake enough to hear her knock. She didn't want to pound on the door too hard and wake up anyone else.

How the hell would she explain standing in front of Coulson's door in the middle of the night, in her pajamas?

"Daisy?" He wondered, looking confused and sleepy, but not that he'd just been woken up. She shifted her weight somewhat nervously, and he stepped to the side, though he still looked confused as she entered his room. She pressed her palms against her thighs as he shut the door, and they stared at one another once he turned to face her.

He'd washed the grease off of his skin, from what she could see, and she found herself mildly disappointed by that. He'd changed into shorts and a dark tee, as well.

"Did I wake you?" She asked, to fill the space, to be polite. She knew she hadn't.

"No." He shook his head, then tilted his head slightly. "What's wrong, Daisy?" She just wanted to keep hearing her name in his voice.

"I missed you." She admitted, and his expression softened. "I just," She started to frown, and he stepped forward, closing the space between them.

"Daisy, there's nothing wrong with missing your friends." He told her, his hand shifting as if he were about to touch her arm. He didn't, though.

"How can you still be my friend?" She wondered, and he was the one frowning now.

"Are you kidding me?" She blinked at him, and he sighed quietly. "Daisy," He murmured, reaching for her now, pulling her against him and wrapping his arms loosely around her shoulders. Giving her the freedom to pull away if she didn't want the hug. "I _never_ will give up on you. There's nothing you could do to make me not love you."

She swallowed, unable to form a reply to his words. She wasn't sure whether he'd meant it or not, but it sounded like....

She lifted her arms, wrapping them firmly around his waist, returning his embrace. She felt him relax and tighten his hold. He even tucked his head closer, pressing his cheek against the side of her head.

She wasn't sure how long they stood there holding one another, but eventually she noticed that they were breathing together, and even their vibrations were difficult to tell apart. Slightly concerned how he would take the intimacy of the situation, she gently pulled away from him, offering him a small smile.

"Thank you," She said quietly, meaning it more than she had ever meant it before in her life, and he smiled a little too. Before she could pull back too far, his right hand slipped up against her hair, cradling her head as he leaned in and softly pressed his lips against her forehead.

She stared at him when he leaned away again, his fingers brushing against her neck as he removed himself from her space. His care for her was written all over his face right now, and she couldn't imagine having the strength to walk out on him again, at least not without saying goodbye first. She couldn't even bring herself to walk out of the room right now.

"Phil?" She asked carefully, and he raised his eyebrow just a bit, in question. He seemed comfortable with her use of his first name. "Can I stay? Tonight?" He started to smile, no doubt replying 'of course' as if it were silly otherwise, but then he furrowed his brow and started to look uneasy.

"I'm not sure...it's appropriate." He admitted, not quite meeting her eyes anymore.

"Phil," Daisy called, and when he lifted his chin to look at her, she gently grasped the front of his t-shirt and touched her mouth against his. He froze, but didn't jerk away, and she stayed still against him, lingering for a long moment before stepping back completely.

He seemed a bit dazed; staring at her with lips slightly parted, hands by his sides.

"Okay." He swallowed, and she half-smirked at him. When he made no further movements, she gestured her head toward the bed and held her hand out to him.

"Come on," She encouraged quietly, "probably gonna be a long day tomorrow, remember?" She pointed out, and he nodded, accepting her hand and following her across the room.

"Do you want to sleep by the wall, or...?" He asked gently. His bed had been tucked into the corner of the room.

"The wall is fine," Daisy assured him, slipping beneath the covers and sliding over as much as possible, giving him plenty of room to lie down as well. He got in the bed without much more hesitation, but he lay there on his back, and she could tell that he was tense. She rolled onto her side, facing the wall with her back to him, and then thought that he may take that as a bad sign, so she reached back toward him with her right hand.

After a moment, she felt his hand touch hers, and he threaded their fingers together, and then she tugged his arm over her side. He turned onto his side, spooning his body loosely around hers, and she shifted back until they were pressed snugly together.

"Daisy," He whispered, sounding worried, but she brushed her thumb across the back of his hand, cuddling his arm in her grasp more firmly, assuring him that she was completely alright with all of this. It took him a minute to relax completely, but eventually he did, even releasing a quiet, pleased sigh against the back of her head.

"I love you, too, you know." She said in the darkness, very quietly, though she knew he would hear it.

He squeezed her tighter for a beat, and nuzzled his nose against her hair.


End file.
